by brine - v 1.0

Beasts & Barrows is an uncomplicated fantasy role-playing game (RPG) for 2-5 players + Game Maestro (GM). It steals blatantly from John Harper's World of Dungeons and shares the same PbtA core mechanic (2d6). YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO HACK THIS!

Beasts & Barrows (B&B) values:

  • role-play: rules and mechanics emphasize and encourage role-play
  • simplicity: less math; less rules; more fun
  • show, don't tell: don't tell me your alignment... show me your alignment; don't tell me you attack; describe your attack
  • flexibility: running existing adventures from any system is trivial

Character Creation

What kind of character sounds fun to play? Rolling a new character takes ones of minutes. This question will likely take the longest to answer. Here are some classic examples but you are free to create your own:

  • Warrior: strong and good with the stabby stab
  • Thief: nimble and sneaky sneaksters
  • Mage: smart and full of arcaney goodness
  • Priest: wise and has a direct line to the gods

Outside of the classic classes, players are encouraged to create their own by making clever use of the existing Skills and Abilities. For example an Alchemist might require Lore and create their potions via Rituals?

What race is your character? Human? Elf? Orc? While there are no statistical bonuses for race, they can add flavor to a character through role-play.

The exception that proves the rule: GMs may allow PCs to have darkvision or an additional language, provided the player offers sound reasoning to do so.

What Attributes does your character have? Roll 2d6 for each of the following six character Attributes and assign the results in any order you wish.

  • strength (str): for melee attacks; climbing; lifting
  • dexterity (dex): for ranged attacks; stealth; dodging
  • intelligence (int): for casting mage spells; memory; deduction
  • wisdom (wis): for casting cleric spells; perception; searching
  • charisma (cha): for persuasion; deception; intimidation
  • constitution (con): for additional HD; physical fortitude; resist poisons;

On a:

  • 2 the value is -1
  • 3-6 the value is 0
  • 7-9 the value is +1
  • 10-11, the value is +2
  • 12, the value is +3.

Note: B&B only makes use of modifiers (eg. +2); not the number rolled.

Choose two Skills and two Abilities:

Skills

When a PC attempts something in the fiction that might be covered by a skill (eg. Athletics when climbing), they roll advantage (3d6 keeping the highest 2) + mod.

  • Athletics: +str/dex: feats of strength and dexterity
  • Awareness: +wis: perceiving the environment around you
  • Deception: +cha: attempt to deceive
  • Decipher: +int: attempt to discern patterns in texts, symbols or numbers
  • Heal: +wis: provide an extra Hit Die (HD) to the party when resting/rolling Hit Points (HP); heal 1d6+level HP with your touch.
  • Lore: +int: consult your accumulated knowledge about something
  • Stealth: +dex: attempt to be sneaky
  • Survival: +con/wis: foraging, hunting; start a fire in unfavorable conditions, etc
  • Sway: +cha: use leverage to influence someone; diplomacy; intimidate; parley

Abilities

Add additional flavor to a class. The word attempt will generally signify rolling a 2d6+mod when applicable.

  • Backstab: +3 damage from concealment
  • Bless: anoint items with holy water for +/-3 damage and as magical
  • Cantrips: cast 3 simple magical spells at will
  • Cast: cast level-less magical spells (see Magic)
  • Connected: you seem to have an acquaintance in every town
  • Hardy: +6 HP
  • Linguist: you are fluent in all civilized languages
  • Lucky: turn a miss into a partial success once per day
  • Penitent: when you take damage and embrace the pain, take advantage on your next roll
  • Pet: you have a loyal and effective animal companion
  • Reflexes: you always act first and cannot be surprised
  • Ritual: attempt occult rituals; detailed in ancient tomes and scrolls
  • Scout: with you on point, your party covers more ground; you always spot targets before they spot you
  • Shield: when you wear no armor or shield, your faith protects you and grants you 2 armor
  • Shift: take the shape of an animal whose blood you've tasted (successful con roll to revert)
  • Skirmish: +1 damage; worn armor counts as one type lighter
  • Slay: +2 melee damage
  • Tinker: pick a lock, pocket or trap w/ tools
  • Tough: +1 armor
  • Turn: attempt to hold undead at bay with your faith and holy symbol
  • Versed: you share secret signs, speech and signals with your brethren
  • Vision: commune with your deity or demon via holy water/drugs
  • Volley: +2 ranged damage
  • Wild: converse with and attempt to command animals

Can your character take a hit? You start with 1 Hit Die (d6) + additional hit dice equal to your con. Roll all your hit dice and keep a number equal to your level to determine your HP. For example, a 1st level PC with +1 con would roll 2d6 and keep the higher of the two.

When you rest in comfort and safety, and consume food/drink, you may reroll your HP. This is the amount of damage you can suffer before you take your Last Breath. You add additional hit dice if you: are attended by a healer; rest in a spiritual place.

A player may choose to reroll HP and find their PC now has less HP. We all have bad days. Are they sick? Did they stay up drinking all night?

Magic

You can master spells equal to your level + 2 (eg. 1st level magi have mastered 3 spells).

Casting spells takes a physical toll. You can safely cast spells equal to your hd + con (ie. spell slots). Above that, you take 1d6+lvl damage for each spell cast. Safe casting is restored after resting in comfort and safety.

Mages add int to their casting rolls; clerics add wis (eg. 2d6+int/wis) and your level to damage rolls (eg. 2d6+lvl). You gain an extra d6 of damage at levels 5 & 10.

Each time you level up, you may swap mastered spells for new ones.

Scrolls

You may attempt to cast spells from written texts. This requires more casting time while you read/review the spell (ie. a turn) and expends a spell slot.

It is wise to identify a spell before casting it!

Enhancements

Enhancement spells are cast in conjunction with a target spell. They augment spell casting and/or effect, and expend a spell slot in addition to the target spell.

Mishaps

Magic is dangerous. A failed casting roll may have consequences; a critical fail always will.

An example mishap table:

  1. the target reflects the spell back at caster
  2. 1d6+lvl damage to the caster
  3. the caster is blinded/frozen/afraid/etc... for a short time
  4. the spell affects the party in some way (depending on the spell)
  5. the caster turns blue
  6. nothing happens... lucky you!

Playing the Game

Narrate your character's actions. Eg. instead of saying: I attack with my sword; say things like: with my sword drawn; stained with the blood and entrails of the orc at my feet; I charge the last remaining orc, smiting it with both hands and all the might left in me... _or something less dramatic :) . Don't say you do a thing; describe how you do a thing.

Not all actions require a roll. Say what your character does and the GM will handle the rest.

When you attempt something risky, sum 2d6 and add one of your skill modifiers, based on the action you’re taking. (The GM will tell you some of the possible consequences before you roll, so you can decide if it’s worth the risk or if you want to revise your action).

  • 2(snake eyes) is a critical failure: shit hits the fan.
  • 3-6 is a miss: things don’t go well and the risk turns out badly.
  • 7-9 is a partial success: you do it but at a cost, compromise, retribution, retaliation, harm, etc.
  • 10-11 is a full success: you do it without complications.
  • 12 (boxcars) is a critical success: you do it perfectly to some extra benefit.

A miss or a partial success might incur an enemy attack; damage; an additional threat; a lost item/resource/opportunity; a disadvantage; an unwelcome truth. They add to the role-play and can amp up the tension in a scene.

Die of Fate

Sometimes the GM will roll the die of fate to see how a situation unfolds. Low numbers are ill-fortune; high numbers are good fortune. The die of fate might be rolled to establish the weather, indicate a random NPC’s general attitude, to determine if a wandering monster appears, or the moral of a monster. The GM may also roll the die of fate if the PCs take some action for which sheer chance is the only factor in the outcome. You will roll this often!

Gear

You have 12+con inventory slots. Items you can hold in one hand take one slot; items that might require two hands to hold take two slots. One slot examples: worn armor/clothes (two slots if carried); a few daggers; a bag containing 250 coins. Two slot examples: martial/great weapons; large shields; animal trap; wine casks. When carrying more items than you have slots, you are encumbered (disadvantage on rolls involving physicality).

Inventory slots are meant to be more concept than rule. The intent is to remind players of the useful items their PCs are carrying, while providing a reasonable amount they are able to carry.

You start with 2d6*10 silver coins...

  • Light Weapon (10s): d6. May be wielded as a secondary weapon, allowing you to reroll damage once per attack. Includes daggers, short swords, and hand axes.
  • Martial Weapon (30s): d6+1. Must be wielded in main hand. Includes long swords, hammers, axes, spears etc.
  • Great Weapon (40s): d6+2 damage. Uses two hands. Includes two-handed swords, battle-axes and pole arms.
  • Shortbow (10s): d6. Also slings etc.
  • Bow (30s): d6+1. Also crossbows, pistols etc.
  • Heavy Bow/Gun (50s): d6+2 Damage if firing from a stationary position. Includes crossbows and muskets.
  • Light Armor (30s): Armor 1 (subtracted from damage taken).
  • Full Armor (60s): Armor 2. Always has a helm. Makes it very hard to run, move quietly, swim, leap etc.
  • Shield (10s): +1 Armor.
  • Backpack (2s): Can hold 12 items up to 40lbs.
  • Adventuring Gear (2s each): 20ft Rope, Iron Spike, Chalk, Parchment, Flint/Steel, Torches (4), Tent, Dice, Caltrops (slows pursuers), Bandages, Travel Rations, Waterskin, Wineskin.
  • Tools (5s each): Crowbar, Hatchet, Animal Trap, Lockpicks, Pen & Pot of Ink, Fishing Pole, Shovel, Grappling Hook, Pickaxe, Collapsible Pole.
  • Occult Items (10s each): Quicksilver (per dose), Pouch of Bone Dust, Vial of Holy Water (one use), Vial of Blood, Ritual Incense and Oils.
  • Fancy Items (20s each): Mirror, Lantern, Spyglass, Sand Timer, Board Game, Elaborate Clothes, Holy Symbols and other charms.
  • Fire Oil (20s per flask): Sets an area on fire (d6+1 damage/round for 3 rounds unless extinguished). Fills a lantern 10 times.
  • Boats: Rowboat (50s) to Galley (200,000s).
  • Carts: Cart (30s) to Wagon (100s).
  • Taverns: 1s to Sleep, 1s to Eat, 1s to Get Drunk.
  • Property: House (1,000s) to Manor (100,000).
  • Horses: Mule (30s), Horse (100s), Warhorse (1,000s).

Hirelings

Cost per day

  • Torch Bearer (2s): 3HP, Knife.
  • Guide (5s): 6HP, Knife, Lantern, Rope.
  • Armsman (20s): 12HP, Spear, Shield, Light Armor.
  • Expert (20s): 6HP, Skill 4, Dagger, Bow.
  • Champion (60s): 18HP, Full Armor, Halberd, Sword, Shield, Dagger.

Levels

As you level up you get rewards according to the table below...

level hd skills attributes abils damage
1 1+con 1+1 2
2 +1
3 +1 +1
4 +1 +1 (max +3)
5 +1d6
6 +1 +1
7 +1 (max +3) +1
8 +1
9 +1 +1
10 +1 +1 (max +3) +1d6

B&B uses Milestones to measure a player character's development. The GM sets a goal(s) for the PCs to accomplish before they can reach the next level. Each level should be twice as hard to achieve (give or take). Milestones might include:

  • merely surviving their first encounter
  • obtaining a MacGuffin
  • completing a quest
  • defeating a boss
  • failures... always a formidable teacher

Last Breath

When a PC's HP drops to 0, they must roll 2d6+con:

On a:

  • 6-: you're dead; roll a new character :rip:
  • 7-9: you will meet Death and bargain for your life. SPOILER: Death can be a dick!
  • 10+: you feel like hammered shit... but you're alive

True Names

True names have power; knowing a true name gives you power over the named. Calling to someone by their True Name gives them advantage on Last Breath rolls.

GMs

The following are friendly suggestions for GMing B&B. As always, do what's right for you or your players.

  • Initiative: The coolest part of Initiative... is saying roll initiative! Given a group of reasonable size (2-5 PCs), cinematic jump cuts (camera-like jumps between players/situations; that follow the narrative) are a great alternative. It also works well with a split party.
  • Splitting the Party: ALWAYS split the party. It's a hoot.
  • Balancing Encounters: Don't do it! PCs should be smart enough to know when they're outmatched. If not, there's always Last Breath. Outside of that, rolling new characters is a snap in B&B :)
  • Magic Items: resist issuing +1 to hit items; rather give +1 to damage or something more situational

#bnb #rules #ttrpg